The recent release of draft legislation by Sen. Joe Ludwig marks the government's first formal step toward implementing changes proposed by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) to update laws that protect personal information, explains Matthew Hall of Swaab Attorneys. The ALRC recommendations focus on an array of issues including making the privacy act more accessible and enhancing the privacy commissioner's powers, Hall notes, explaining that not all recommendations have been accepted at this time. "A key recommendation of the ALRC, accepted by the government, is to unify the current Information Privacy Principles and the National Privacy Principles," Hall writes, noting they will be replaced with 13 Australian Privacy Principles applying to all agencies and organisations, if the bill passes. The committee is accepting input on the draft through 27 July. (Registration may be required to access this story.)
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